Stretching device.



G. W. CHAMBERLAIN.

STRETCHING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I1. I9l6. 1,222,602. Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

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G. W. CHAM BERLAIN.

Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

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s'ritFavourite DEVICE.

' A eueafibn ma rebmar ii ieiep Serial No. 77,759

This inventionrelates to improvements in stretching devices andhas particular application to a stretching deyicefor use connection with hat forming dies; r i

resent invention, it is my purpose to provi for use in connection with hat forming. dies which-will be entirely -automatic in operation and which will automatically gripthe the movable die to stretch theihat and then automatically release the material of the hat when the movable dieascends; 1'; r

' sary or 7 It also'my purposeto provide an-auto5 matic; stretching device for use in 'iconneee tion' with hat, V constructed in such manner that any neces; desired number of ,1 the devices may i be attached; to the forming machine quickly ingof the hat. V above and other objects in vlew, 35

and conveniently and spaced apart about the. dies; to grip the. material; of the hat to stretch such;material;evenlye-and uniformly in directionsso as to facilitate the form- LWiththe 7 the invention consists in the construction, combinationand arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth in and fallingwithin the scope ofthe'claimsar p In the accompanying drawings; {Figure leis former showing a number of my improved stretching; devices applied thereto. 7

Fig.2 is a crosssectional :view through V ther same'with the upperdie in place.- 'Fig; 3 is an enlarged side elevation of one ofthe stretching devices removed from the former; i 5 7 1 V s V i V. Fig. 4 is a ;vertical sectional fview through the-stretching device; 7 1 r 5 is .a; fragmentaryside elevation of I one of the stretching devices, showing the partsin a different positionfromthat illustratediin Fig. 1

f Fig. 6 isasimiIar view, showing the parts in another position; 1 v

I, GEORGE 3W. CHAD/Dina e a stretching device spaced apart.

material of the hat in. the g'downward moves; ment of the movable di'e-andgthen swing from'the diesunder the action of forming dies ;which will be r a top plan view of a with, alining openings 22.

' ate ted Apr.'17,1917,

' it;- Ti a view taken at right. anglee t V Fig.3. 7 V or a 1 Referring now" to the drawings in detail, 1 designates the o lower hat forming die mounted upon abase), while 3 indicates'the upper'die capable of movement toward and r V awayufrom the lower die to form the felt or other material between the dies. These dies may be constructed in any suitable manner and operated by any appropriate mechanism. o r V I V 7 Arranged aroundthe lower die 1 are my improved stretching construction and each embodies a supporting clamp 5 of any suitable construction adapted.

to grip the base2 and'formed with :an out i wardly projecting lug 6 provided withbolt holes 7 arranged one above the other. j 8 V designates an armcurvedlongitudinally and formed with a longitudinalslot 9 adaptedto aline with the bolt holes 7 and'throughthese holes and the :slot are passed securing bolts 10provided withthumb nuts 11 whereby the arm may beheld in adjusted position upon the lug. The upper end of the arm 8 is formed with an opening 12 and placed inface to face contact with one side of the devices 4: suitably The'devices i are identical in arm at the upper end: thereof is a lug 13 formed with a bolt hole alining withthe opening 12 in the upper end of the arm and passed through the opening and the bolt hole and threaded into: the latter is a se-v curing screw 14;. Formed on the 1ug13 and arranged at right angles thereto is a head piece 15 and formed integral with the ends of the head piece 15' and projecting rearwardly and downwardly therefrom are arms 16. This arm and head constitute the sup-- port for the jaws ;of the stretcher and the mechanism for operating the jaws and it, is

conceivable that the structure of the arm and thehead, as well as the connection between the head and the arm may be varied and such is contemplated,

Mounted upon the head piece '15 is agrips ping device comprising, in the present 111- stance, a lower jaw 17 having one edge formed with 7 an upwardly. extending flange 18 and the} other edge formed with rear.

wardly and upwardly projecting arms 19 having the upper ends thereof bent toward the jaw as-at 20. Depending from the arms 19 contiguous to the aw are lugs 2'1gformed ,The lugs -21 are ends thereof projecting beyond the lugs and pivoted upon the outer ends of the rods 23' are the corresponding ends of links 24 and the other ends of the links 24 are pivotally connected to the arms 16 on the head piece 15 and form connections between the head piece and the jaw 17. Formed in the arms 19 and spaced apart'from the adjacent'edge of the jaw 17 are alining openings and passed through these openings is a pivot rod 25 and mounted upon the pivot rod 25 between the arms 19 is an upper jaw 26 capable of movement toward and away from the lower jaw 17. In the present instance, the upper jaw 26 comprises curved sections 27 having the lower ends thereof pivoted upon the rod '25 and the upper ends formed with forwardly and laterally projecting grippers 28. These sections'27 are inter connected by means of a bar 29 so that both sections will move simultaneously toward and away from the lower jaw. Surrounding the pivot rod 25 is a restoring spring 30 having one end portion engaging the bar 29 and the other end portion in engagement with the bar 31. This spring 30 acts to hold the upperjaw normally out of engagement with the lowerjaw and back against the arms 19. Mounted in the upper portions of the bent ends 20 of the arms 19 is a rod 32 and mounted upon the rod 32 between the arms and capable of swinging movement on the rod is an arm 33., Secured to the arm 33 adjacent to the lower end thereof and projecting rearwardly therefrom is a connecting arm 34:- r Pivotally connected to the lower ends of the sections 27 of the upper jaw below the pivot rod 25am arms 35 projectingjrearwardlv from the sections and having the rear ends thereof curved upwardly as at 36. Mounted in the upwardly curved portions 36 of the arms 35 is a trans verse pivot pin 37 and pivoted between its ends upon the pin 37 is a lever 38 having the upper end formed with a slot 39that receives a cross rod 40 carried by the arms-19 adjacent to the bent ends 20 thereof. The lower end of the lever 38 is pivotally connected with one end of a link 41 and the other end of the link 41 is pivotally connected to the connecting arm 34. Surrounding ne end portion of the rod 32 is a re storing spring 42- having one end secured to the cross rod 4L0 and the other end bearing upon the connecting arm 34; The spring42 acts to restore the connecting arm and its associated parts to normal position and to hold the same in such position and cotiper ates with the restoring spring 30 of the upper jaw to hold the'pa-rts in normal position. Threaded through the cross bar 3lris an adjusting screw 43 whereby the lower jaw may be movedtoward or away from the forming machine securing the adjusting of the arm 8 so that the jaws will be disposed in the.most advantageous position to grip the fabric on the lower die.

In practice, the'stretching devices I are, secured to the base 2 by means of the sup porting clamps 5 and the flanged edges of.

the lower jaws lie in juxtaposition to the upperedge of the flange on the lower die 1,

the arms '8 being adjusted'about thelugs '6 r in the downward movement of the upper die, the latter engages the finger 45 and swings the arms 33'about the rods 32, thereby elevating the connecting arms 34. In the upward movement of "each 7 connecting arm motion istransmitted through the link 41 and lever 38 "to the arms 35,'thereby swinging the upper 'jaw"downwardly to clamp the edge of the felt between the jaws. Immediately succeeding the clamping of the fabric between the jaws the upper die, in its continued downward movement toward the lower die, bears upon the roller 441 and swings both jaws outwardly away from the dies. Asithe jaws'of all of the devices are thus actuated outwardlyfrom the diesthe' fabric is stretched evenly and uniformly in all directions. This outward movement of the dies is brought about by means of the links 24 connecting the lower jaw to the head piece and these links are equipped with suitable springs 46 that act to restore the jaws to normal position-when the upper die is elevated. I

'When the upper die is elevated, the stretching devices are relieved of the influence thereof and the springs with which such devices are equipped; restore the de-' vices to normal position and thecompoiient parts of such devices to such position automatically so that the stretching deviceswill be in condition to receive other materialin the continued'operation of the machine.

While I have herein shown and described the preferred form of'my invention by way of illustration, 1 wish it to be understood that I do not limit or confine myself to the precise details of construction herein described and delineated, as modification and variation mav be made within the scope'of' spirit of the invention.

I claim: V 1. The combination with hat forming dies, of stretching devices spaced apart around said dies and including means to the claims and without departing from the grip the material of the hat and stretch the same, and means disposed in the path of movement of the movable die and adapted to operate said first-named means.

2. ihe combination with hat forming dies of stretching devices spaced apart around said dies and including means to grip the material of the hat and stretch the same, means disposed in the path of movement of the movable dieand adapted to operate said first-named means, and means for restoring the first and second-named means to normal position succeeding the elevation of the movable die.

3. The combination with hat forming dies, of stretching devices disposed about said dies including means adapted to grip the material of the hat automatically in the downward movement of the movable die and stretch such material, means for securing said devices to the base of the lower die, and means for adjusting said devices to proper positions relatively to the dies.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses GEORGE W. CHAMBERLAIN.

Witnesses:

J. E. MCS IMY, JNo. A. BUCHANAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 0. 

